


Cure Wounds

by ahymnisasong



Series: Memories [3]
Category: Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game)
Genre: Flashbacks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-04
Updated: 2018-12-04
Packaged: 2019-09-07 03:16:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16846060
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ahymnisasong/pseuds/ahymnisasong
Summary: A collection of memories from Milo Greenwillow. All memories told in his point of view. Memories can be triggered in-game, by events, or dreams. All memories archived here.





	Cure Wounds

**Author's Note:**

> Milo Greenwillow is my character from an active Dungeons & Dragons campaign called "Hollow is the Soul".

It was a normal day in the forest of Tethir, or at least it would be if a harsh cough hadn’t been following Milo Greenwillow for weeks. It had started as a tickle in his throat and over time it grew to a creeping cough. For any adult this would be trivial, something that would disappear in a few days. However, for Milo who was only three years of age reaching four, this was something to be concerned about.

“He’s getting worse, Jameson. We have to do something.” Annalise looked at her husband as she held their small child in her arms. He behaved normally but his coughing fits were coming more frequently.  
“Listen,” Jameson approached his wife wrapping his arms around her and their babe. “In just one more day we’ll be near the next town. I’ll take him to a doctor there and he’ll be just fine.” He looked at Annalise and saw a tear threatening to fall from her eyes. He touched her cheek gently turning her head to look at him. He said nothing else and after a few moments she nodded her head at him and turned from him leaving her husband’s embrace and heading into their tent to let Milo rest.

* * *

The day passed without issue but the night was not so fortunate. Overnight Milo had come down with a high fever and his small body shivered in a cold sweat. Before the sun rose Annalise and Jameson had already packed up their things and hurried to the next town. Annalise held Milo the whole way whispering sweet things to him trying to calm his fussiness.

At the next clearing it was well into the morning and Jameson hurriedly put together their camp. Wiping the sweat from his brow he turned to his wife and child holding out his arms and walked to them.

“Let me take him.” He said. “I know this town, I’ll get the right help and get him well again.” Annalise, almost hesitantly, gave Milo to Jameson and touched a gentle hand to his cheek.

“I trust he will get better, please take this with you.” Drawing her hand away from his face Annalise reached down at her side and grabbed a jingling pouch. She held it out for Jameson to see to which he nodded and she placed it in his bag for him. With a few more sweet kisses and worried goodbyes Jameson hurried off to town seeking out a doctor.

* * *

The town had changed since he’d last been there, he stood at the side of the road clueless on where to go. Looking left and right he saw no immediate clinic and hearing Milo cough in his arms forced him to choose a direction. When he turned the corner at the inn he found the church of the town standing proudly and he rushed up its steps to give its doors a hard knock. Without waiting for an answer he reached for the door handle and let himself in when he found it unlocked.

The inside of the church was empty not even the priest was there. The place was eerily quiet excluding the sound of Milo’s harsh coughing.

“I thought you were going to take the door down!” an elderly voice chimed behind him. Jameson turned on his heel and faced the priest of the church. He looked relieved to see them.  
“I need your help, or, rather my son needs your help.” He gestured to the shivering boy in his arms and the priest walked up to the both of them reaching out with a wrinkled hand. They touched Milo’s forehead and chest and closed their eyes, they seemed to be thinking about something.  
“Can you heal him?” Jameson finally asked. “I don’t have much money but I’m a hunter – and a druid.” He said it almost like he’d forgotten. “If you can heal him my wife and I will be indebted to you.” The plea in his voice was equally as evident on his face and the priest saw that. He was desperate and the priest was sympathetic. They stepped away from Milo and Jameson looking at them with a sorrowful expression.

“Someone like me doesn’t have much use for a druid or a hunter these days, I’m afraid.” They said and Jameson immediately frowned. “For me this place is all I have… though it’s not without it’s own issues.” The priest gestured to the grandiosity of the church stopping for a moment to point out the leaky roof and the cracks in the walls.The priest walked away from them and toward an altar at the back opening up an old tome that was resting on it. Jameson approached him and was about to say something when the priest spoke again.  
“I can heal your son, completely cure his illness. It will cost you 400 gold pieces.” The priest tucked their hands behind their back and looked at Jameson. “Every bit I earn here goes into fixing this place, I’m sure you understand why I have to insist on money.”

Jameson frowned and thought about the cost. Even with the coin pouch Annalise had given him, their funds just weren’t enough to cover it all.  
“Please,” he begged, “there must be something you can do for him. I don’t have that much money right now. Just help him enough for me to find someone else to cure him, just enough to give me more time… he’s only three.” The priest looked thoughtful for a moment and nodded.  
“I can relieve him of his symptoms, that should give you the time you ask for. It will cost you 50 gold pieces.” The priest stood still looking between Milo and Jameson.  
“That’s fine,” he replied “I have that much. Whatever you can do is just fine.” The priest nodded and stepped forward to the pair reaching out again with a wrinkled hand resting it on top of Milo’s head and chest. A glow of magic appeared from under the priest’s hands and as quickly as they had appeared they were gone. Jameson looked at Milo and saw him resting peacefully, no longer shivering or coughing. However now that he was still, Jameson noticed Milo wheezed with every breath.  
“Gods be with you.” He said looking up from Milo to the priest and he reached into his pocket pulling out the gold. He handed it over to the priest who took it and put it in their own pocket. As Jameson turned to leave the priest called behind him: “There is a doctor who operates a few homes down from here, there is a sign outside. You can’t miss it!”

Jameson turned and gave the priest a smile and a thank-you and raced out the door nearly running into two citizens who were coming in for their morning prayers.  
“Sorry!” he said as he continued to run past them and down the street with Milo in his arms.

* * *

The door to the doctor’s clinic burst open and startled everyone on the other side of it. Jameson stood in the doorway panting looking around at every face none of them looking like a doctor.

“Sir, this is a recovery clinic you can’t just burst through the doors like that!” A voice came around the corner and Jameson smiled at the man in the white coat.  
“Are you a doctor?” he asked.  
“I am, can I help you with something?” The doctor raised a brow and looked at the weak child in Jameson’s arms.  
“Please, my son is sick. I took him to the priest but he only relieved his symptoms, I don’t have much money but I’m a druid – and a hunter.” He said it almost as if he’d forgotten. “If you can heal him my wife and I will be indebted to you.” The doctor looked at him for a moment and after some time of considering he motioned for Jameson to come inside.

“Follow me, shut the door.” He said and he led Jameson past the patients and to the room at the back. Against the wall was an examination table to which the doctor told Jameson to lay Milo on and he did without hesitation. Right away the doctor took out his tools and checked Milo’s heartbeat, his temperature, and his breathing. After a few minutes the doctor turned to face Jameson “He looks very bad, but he isn’t going to die. It looks like whatever he had most of it has passed. Maybe that priest did more for you than just relieve some symptoms.” A wave of relief washed over Jameson like a tsunami. “He still needs a lot of rest and medicine but I can take care of him for you here.” Jameson felt stunned by the good news and was shocked about how much his sons illness had gone away.  
“How much?” He asked.  
“I won’t charge you for the medicine or the care.” The doctor said swiftly moving to his cabinet pulling out a mortal and pestle. Jameson felt confused and his feelings were written right on his face.  
“You said you were a druid, yes?” The doctor asked him as he tossed some herbs into the tiny bowl. “The local alchemist charges me too much in bulk for tonics and herbal remedies that I use. If you can get me the supplies instead I will take care of you and your family every time you need me.”

Jameson took no time to think about the offer and nodded his head. “Of course.” he said “just tell me what you need and when you need it by and my wife and I will make sure you get it.” The doctor smiled and nodded continuing to fix up a medicine for the weak boy at the table.  
“For now let’s take care of your son, we’ll talk business later.”

* * *

Back in the forest Annalise worked tirelessly with their usual trade partners taking extra long breaks to pray for Milo’s well-being. She prayed to Silvanus day and night pleading for her son to be saved.  
“He is your pupil, you’ve blessed him, please let him be saved. There is so much for him to learn, let him learn. Let him grow.” She tearfully prayed through the long days and was restless at night. Her worries never stopped until she was caught by surprise from a blue wisp in the air that conjured a sheet of paper and it floated down delicately resting in her lap. She held the parchment and as she read tears welled in her eyes as the last sentence caught her attention:

_“He’s going to be just fine, he’s probably going to be able to come home soon. Wait for us. - J”_

Reading the last few sentences of the note made her cry and she thanked Silvanus over and over mumbling prayers and songs and everything that she could think of.

* * *

A week had passed and Milo looked better with each passing day. Jameson sat at the table at the end of Milo’s bed writing out a letter to Annalise telling her everything that had happened. Once he finished he rolled up the small paper and a spark of blue magic swirled around it burning it up in the air with the smoke travelling out of the window.  
“Telling the missus?” The voice startled him and Jameson looked up to see the doctor in the doorway holding Milo in his arms.  
“Milo’s much better now, I’d say he’s ready for you to take him home. He still needs to take some medicine for a while to make sure the sickness doesn’t come back, but after another week he should be just fine.” Jameson stood up and walked to pull Milo into his own grip who laughed at him when he saw him.  
“Thank you so much, Gods be with you, we truly owe you our service.” Jameson sounded as grateful as he looked and the doctor was appreciative of that.

Over the course of the afternoon they discussed business deals and trade offers as well as the list of herbs Milo would need to continue consuming until he was fully healthy again. After another day or so the pair left the clinic and made their way back to Annalise who was going to be more than delighted to see her happy, healthy, boy again.

* * *

Annalise kissed her boy with tear filled eyes when he ran up to her for the first time since he’d left. She scooped him up in a big hug and held him tightly kissing his cheeks, forehead, and nose. She told him how much she missed him and Milo laughed into the embrace. She looked up at Jameson who was watching them endearingly and she walked to him with Milo in her arms and welcomed him home with a kiss. She set Milo down and he ran off into the tents probably looking for his favorite blanket.

“Silvanus has saved him.” She said to her husband wiping the tears from her cheeks. “I prayed every day, and here he is hale and hearty.”  
“I would thank Silvanus too, I’m sure He had a hand in this somewhere.” Jameson took his wife’s hands and touched his forehead to hers. “Though for this, I think we give credit where credit is due.” It was at that moment Jameson reminded Annalise of the priest and doctor who helped nurse Milo back to health. She nodded and smiled and walked back to the tent to see Milo cuddling with the heavy blankets in a nest of pillows. They smiled at each other and went about their usual duties.

As Annalise prepared a meal over the fire Jameson talked with her about the business deal he’d made, about the plants and herbs he’d need to gather for the doctor, and the plentiful basket he wanted to give the priest for giving Milo more than what he’d paid for. They came to their agreements and went about their business from then on. 

Milo continued to get better and recovered completely from his sickness, resuming his druidic studies as soon as he was able to. His parents would later tell him of this happening, since was too sick to remember this incident happening but he has vague images in his head of the doctor and his clinic. He will always remember the lengths his parents went through to save his life and he uses this as inspiration to help other people and animals in need.


End file.
